MOUNT PLEASANT, Mich. -- The scene is very different from the one he had grown accustomed to 130 miles down state.

The facilities are smaller and less extravagant. The fanbase less rabid.

Most of his teammates were two and three-star recruits in high school. He was a five.

And then there's the view across the street from his apartment.

"Cornfields," Shane Morris says. "I'm not really used to that whole thing."

The former Michigan quarterback wears the jersey of Central Michigan now, a program that has had its share of success over the last decade. But the Chippewas needed a quarterback for 2017, and Morris, buried on the depth chart at Michigan, needed a place to play.

"I decided to take a visit and immediately kind of loved it," Morris said. "It was a really good group of guys coming back that started last year. Strong offense. The spread offense is something I'm interested in."

But Morris' interest in the program was too enticing to pass up, leaving the 22-year-old in competition with Poljan, a former Minnesota commit, for the starting quarterback job.

"Things didn't work out quite like he had anticipated at Michigan," Bonamego said. "When you add in a coaching change, numerous offensive coordinators, position coach changes, it's hard on a player at any position. "I think he was just looking for a place where he'd have an opportunity to compete. He wasn't promised anything, other than he'd have the opportunity to compete."

'Adversity' at U-M

Morris was met with fanfare when he showed up to Michigan in 2013. A five-star recruit from Warren De La Salle High School, he bypassed the redshirting process and played in three games, including a start against Kansas State, as a freshman.

After a 2-2 start in 2014, Morris was handed the reins at quarterback by head coach Brady Hoke. But in a game against Minnesota, Morris suffered a concussion after taking a series of hits.

Hoke and the University of Michigan were criticized for their handling of the situation. Morris, who lost out a quarterback competition to Jake Rudock in 2015, never started a game again.

"I wish things would have gone differently, but everyone faces adversity at some point," Morris said. "Those four years there, I had an unbelievable time. I graduated from the No. 1 public university in the United States. I'm thankful for that. I had a great education. But obviously, football didn't go as planned."

Morris opted not to talk about the concussion controversy. Messages to the University of Tennessee, where Hoke is now the defensive line coach, were not returned.

By the fall of 2016, Morris was ready to look elsewhere. And he saw some familiar faces in Mount Pleasant.

'My last shot'

CMU cornerback Josh Cox has no trouble recalling his time playing with Morris at De La Salle."He's got a cannon," said Cox, who intercepted a Morris pass Wednesday in practice.

"Probably the strongest arm I've ever seen."

Morris says he feels at home at CMU, and you're inclined to believe him when you realize how many folks with De La Salle ties he's surrounded with.

He lives with Cox and teammate Berkley Edwards, the younger brother of former Michigan receiver Braylon Edwards, in a four-bedroom apartment. Josh Sinagoga, his predecessor at quarterback at De La Salle, is a grad assistant. And his old coach, Paul Verska, is on staff as director of high-school relations.

"Everybody was pretty welcoming," Morris said. "I mean, obviously the new guy coming in for one year, people probably don't know what to expect. 'He's obviously coming in because he couldn't hack it somewhere else.' Or, 'he's only here because he's got one more shot.'

"Once summer came and (everyone saw) how hard I've worked and how dedicated I was to this team, I think that they were really welcoming."

Morris, who's pursuing a master's degree in project management, still has plans to one day play in the NFL. He acknowledges the long-shot odds but looks to Mitch Trubisky for inspiration, the former North Carolina quarterback who had a breakout season last year and was drafted second overall in this year's NFL draft.

"There's lots of stories of guys who started one year in college," Morris said. "I believe everything happens for a reason, and I'm here for a reason. And I'm going to make the most of it."